Who Gives A Fish Forums

daisie wrote: ↑Tue Jun 03, 2025 3:52 am Has anyone tried using tannins to enhance reds? I heard it can help but haven't tested it myself.

Tannins can lower pH, which might stress some plants. I'd stick to iron and light adjustments first. Less risky.

Red plants can be tricky. What's your nitrate level? I've found keeping nitrates low, around 5 ppm, helps bring out the red. Also, iron dosing is key. I use Seachem Iron and my Ludwigia Super Red pops.

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna try the zucchini trick and maybe grab some clarifier. Appreciate the help!

Honestly, I'd advise against ottos in a Mbuna setup - an Ancistrus would be a better fit. They grow larger and generally get left alone by the cichlids. As for snails, I wouldn't recommend them either; the Labs will likely harass and eat them if they get the chance.

That's a pretty steep price tag for the leleupi, shame they're so pricey. They're lovely fish though.

Just spent the whole day redoing my 55 gallon tank, moved all the fish to a temp bin, and now the water's cloudy as heck. Also found a ton of pest snails hitchhiking on my new plants. Anyone dealt with this mess before?

I think a tanganyikan set up would be perfect for a tank that size, neolamprologus leleupi would be a great choice, you could get a nice group of them.

Lots of great advice here. OP, let us know how it goes after you try some of these fixes. Vallisneria's a tough plant, so with a little tweaking, it should recover.

All good points here. One more thing to check: any recent tank changes? New fish, meds, or additives? Sometimes sudden changes can stress plants out. Also, how old are the leaves? Older leaves naturally brown and die off.

If you're after peacocks, you're in luck - they're setting up some new tanks just for mbuna in a couple of weeks. The current mbuna selection is a bit lacking, but what they do have is lovely. I spotted some Aulonocara firefish and some gorgeous Ussisya aulonocara, both around 30 quid a pop ...